Orlando Nightclub Shooting Victims Identified

50 people were killed and 53 injured in the shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, around 2 a.m. on Sunday.

The gunman who is responsible for the Orlando nightclub shooting was identified as Omar Mir Seddique Mateen, age 29, born in New York and living in Port St. Lucie, Florida. He was carrying a handgun and an assault riffle.

Mateen worked as a security guard and he had a license to carry a firearm.

Back in 2013 he was interviewed by the FBI over “inflammatory comments” he made to coworkers and again a year later, in 2014, in relation to an American suicide bomber.

A police officer who responded to the Orlando shooting was involved in a brief gun battle with Mateen before the gunman retreated back inside the nightclub. The shooter then took hostages before police raided the building around 5 a.m.

A controlled explosion was used in order to distract the shooter as the police entered the building. Authorities killed Mateen and at least 30 people were rescued.

53 injured people were taken to the hospital, including a police officer.

The Orlando nightclub shooting is the deadliest in the history of U.S.

Source: Twitter

Following the shooting, people have gathered outside the historic Manhattan’s Stonewall Inn to hold vigil in memory of the 50 people killed and 53 injured.